Net Pan 2006

Bruce Pollock made this 'Net Pan' drawing on a long sheet of paper, covered edge-to-edge with these complex network-like structures. I can almost imagine Pollock, sitting there, pen in hand, building this world line by line. The pale color palette emphasizes the drawing's intricacy: you have to get up close. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin’s grids, but with a twist, because Pollock has these biomorphic shapes like cells, or molecules. They seem to expand and contract across the surface. I'm thinking about what it's like to be an artist working on something so detailed—all that concentration. It must feel like a meditation, where each mark builds on the last. The image has a mathematical feel, but there’s room for error, for the human touch. It feels like it’s in conversation with other artists who are interested in mapping, systems, and repetition. It’s almost as if Pollock is saying: let’s see what happens when we combine art, science, and just a little bit of chance.